Metal-and-wood railway-tie.



PATENTED AUG. 2, 1904.

R. W. CRAWFORD. METAL AND WOOD RAILWAY TIE.

APPLIUATION FILED MAR.14, 1904.

N0 MODEL.

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UNITED STATES Patented August 2, 1904:.

ROBERT TN. ORAWVFORD, OF FORT DODGE, IOlVA.

METAL-AN D-WOOD RAILWAY-TIE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 766,328, dated August2, 1904.

Application filed March 14, 1904. Serial No. 198,180. (No model.)

To a, whom, it may concern:

Be it known that 1, ROBERT WV. CRAWFORD, a citizen of the United States,residing at Fort Dodge, in the county of WVebster and State of Iowa,have invented a new and useful Metaland-TVood Railway-Tie, of which thefollowing is a specification.

My object is to retain all the advantages of the resiliency of wood as abase for trackrails in a railroad and to secure the strength and utilityof metal in the main portion of a cross-tie.

A further object is to produce a broad tie of comparatively light weightand great strength with means for detachably fastening woodenbase-pieces securely on its end portion as required for supportingtrack-rails in elevated positions relative to the ground and preventingthe wood from decay and in exposed positions, so the wood can be readilyadjusted relative to metal boxes, in which it is inclosed, whenevernecessary on account of shrinking or wearing and also readily replacedwhen worn out.

My invention consists in the construction, arrangement,and combinationof elements and subcombinations, as hereinafter set forth, pointed outin my claims, and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in whichFigure 1 is a perspective view of a metal box specially adapted forretaining a wooden base for a rail at the end portion of a crosstie.Fig. 2 is a corresponding View of the same box provided with a flange atone end to restrict the longitudinal movement of the wood relative tothe box and a cross-tie. Fig. 3 is a perspective view of my metal tiehaving wooden base-pieces detachably fastened on its top and endportions as required for practical use. Fig. 4: is a transversesectional view of two of my cross-ties in position as required tosupport a track-rail.

The numeral 10 designates a metal box that is open at its ends and topand narrower at one end than the other end and also narrower at the topthan at its bottom as required to produce a vertical and also alongitudinal dovetail bearing for awooden block of corresponding shapeand size, as shown in Fig. 3.

Fig. 2 shows an integral vertical flange 12 at the bottom of thenarrowest end of the box that will prevent a wooden block from furtherinward movement in the box and aid in retaining the wood in place in thebox as required to serve as a stationary fixed base for a rail.

The metal cross-tie 13 consists of a straight length that is corrugated,as shown, or in any suitable way as required to reduce weight and at thesame time increase its bearing-surface.

It is obvious the metal boxes and metal tie may be made of wrought metalor cast in molds and vary in size and weight, as desired. The boxes 10are riveted fast on the top and end portions of the corrugated metal tie13 and their narrowest ends near the ends of the tie and the woodenblocks 1 L fitted in the boxes in dovetail position to slide outwardrelative to the ends of the boxes and the tie and to wedge fast in theboxes, and to prevent movement of the blocks in the boxes spikes aredriven through perforations in the boxes and into the wood.

The wood is properly seasoned and its pores may be filled withpreservative matter.

A complete cross-tie is thus produced principally of metal and the metaladapted in form for fixing comparatively small pieces of wood to its endportions to serve as cushions and supports upon which to advantageouslylix rails in a common way by means of spikes, as shown in Fig. 4.

Having thus set forth the purpose of my invention and its constructionand manner of use, its practical utility will be obvious to railroad menand persons familiar with the art to which it pertains, and what I claimas new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In a railway-tie, a metal box open at its ends and top, narrower atone end than the other and also narrower at its top than at its bottomto produce a longitudinal and also a vertical dovetail bearing for awooden block, for the purposes stated.

2. In a railway-tie, a metal box open at its ends and top, narrower atone'end than the other and also narrower at its top than at its bottomto produce a longitudinal and also a vertical dovetail bearing for awooden block and a wooden block fitted in the box, for the purposesstated.

3. A metal box for a railway-tie larger at one end than its other endand open at its top and ends to admit a wooden block in the manner setforth for the purposes stated.

4. A metalbox for a railway cross-tie, wider at one end than its otherend and one end partly closed and the other end and also its top openfor the reception of a wooden block and base for the support of atrack-rail, in the manner set forth for the purposes stated.

5. A railway-tie comprising a metal crosspiece corrugatedlengthwise,metal boxes fixed on top of its end portions and woodenblocks fixed in the metal boxes, arranged and combined to operate in themanner set forth for the purposes stated.

' ROBERT W. CRAWFORD.

Witnesses:

BLANoHE K. BURNAN, C. F. BUNCOMBE.

